Elder Mu was silent for a mont, examining Lu Jingchen from head to toe, then turned his gaze to Song Qiao and Mu Shinian, and said, "You siblings go out first."
His intention was quite clear—he wanted to have a talk with Lu Jingchen.
Song Qiao was taken aback, then subconsciously looked towards Lu Jingchen, and then at Elder Mu, not imdiately leaving but instead said, "Grandpa, we have just been married not long ago, the reason we didn’t tell you imdiately was because we were afraid that you..."
"Qiaoqiao." Before Song Qiao could finish speaking, Lu Jingchen pulled her hand, stopping her from continuing to speak, and said, "You go out with Shinian first, let have a chat with your grandpa, okay?"
Seeing Song Qiao’s reaction, as if she was afraid that he would give the young man in front of her a hard ti, Elder Mu couldn’t help but puff out his beard and glower, awkwardly and sowhat indignantly said, "What? Are you afraid that I’ll give him a hard ti?"
Didn’t she just get married? Now, his own granddaughter was elbowing out. Elder Mu was quite indignant and even felt a little sour.
Song Qiao subconsciously shook her head, indicating that she didn’t an that.
Elder Mu harrumphed, his face even showing a petulant expression, "If that’s not what you were thinking, then you and Shinian go wait outside now, I want to have a good talk with him."
"Qiaoqiao, you should go out first, be good~" Lu Jingchen looked at Song Qiao’s face which had a trace of worry, and felt quite pleased inside. Pinching her palm with his thumb, he continued softly, "You and Shinian wait outside for a while, I’ll take you out to eat later, okay?"
Throughout this whole ti, Mu Shinian had been standing there quietly, not speaking.
Song Qiao still wanted to say sothing, but Lu Jingchen pinched her palm and gave her a firm look, signaling her to be at ease.
Song Qiao hesitated for a mont, but eventually nodded her head and left with Mu Shinian.
For a mont, the only people left in the hospital room were Elder Mu and Lu Jingchen. Although it was their first eting, it felt like more than that.
Silence—neither of the two spoke. Elder Mu even casually took a sip of water from the cup at the bedside, then looked at Lu Jingchen standing there with a probing gaze.
Lu Jingchen still stood there, upright with his stature, his face always wearing a faint smile, profound and aningful.
"How’s your grandfather?" Elder Mu was the first to break the silence with an opening that carried a hint of a sigh, yet was still relatively gentle.
"Grandfather is in good health, it’s just that he hasn’t been keen on going out since grandmother passed away a few years ago." Lu Jingchen’s expression was unchanged, as though he had anticipated that this would be the first question Elder Mu would ask.
"That’s good, that’s good!" Elder Mu’s face also revealed a smile, as if he was coming to terms with sothing, or perhaps not, and continued, "After competing for most of our lives, it’s ti we both settled down."
Living nearly a lifeti, many things are seen clearer than anyone else could see.
Even Song Qiao might not know that her grandfather and Lu Jingchen’s grandfather were old acquaintances, and even once... rivals and romantic competitors.
Perhaps it was because Elder Mu and Lu Jingchen’s grandfather knew each other well that the atmosphere between the two n beca much better for a while, with Lu Jingchen always standing to the side, his deanor humble yet without losing dignity, presenting himself very well, which made Elder Mu increasingly satisfied.
...
As soon as Song Qiao and Mu Shinian stepped out of the hospital room, they were directly stunned there.
"Qiaoqiao." Dressed in a light gray shirt, black trousers, holding a jacket in his hand, Gu Linyuan stood at the end of the corridor, his eyes dark and indistinct, looking at Song Qiao, his voice carrying a mix of indiscernible emotions, "Do you have ti? I’d like to talk to you."
Before Song Qiao could speak, Mu Shinian beside her spoke directly, her tone far from polite, glaring vehently at Gu Linyuan, coldly saying, "Who do you think you are? Stop bothering my sister, or believe , I’ll thrash you."
Gu Linyuan’s lips pressed tightly, his jaw tensed, and he did not speak.
Song Qiao gently pulled on Mu Shinian’s hand, her voice soft, "Shinian, wait here for a mont, I will go and talk to him."
It had probably been almost two weeks since she and Gu Linyuan had last seen each other, not a long ti, yet it felt like sothing from a previous life.
She didn’t even know when this man, who once held a significant place in her world, suddenly beca not so important.
Just like this morning, when she heard from Maid Zhang that Gu Linyuan had co to visit grandpa, her emotions only fluctuated slightly, and it wasn’t the dramatic kind, she even feared that the man would say sothing to upset her grandfather.
"Sis, that man treated you like that back then..." Mu Shinian stopped halfway, as if suddenly recalling sothing, and muttered, "Moreover, you already have a brother-in-law now, you can’t be with soone else behind his back..."
Song Qiao, "...Shinian, I’m just talking with him!" Why did she feel like her cousin had been bribed by Lu Jingchen in just a few short hours?
It must be an illusion, she would be very sad if it were true.
Mu Shinian’s voice was loud when he said the first part, but the second part was a bit quieter. Although Gu Linyuan was a bit away from the siblings, he still heard every word of Shinian’s latter statent without missing a beat.
Especially the word "brother-in-law" seed to strike directly at his heart, causing his complexion to change subtly, his jaw tensed, as emotions swirled within him. The hand holding his suit jacket unconsciously tightened its grip, causing the originally crisp jacket to gain a few telltale creases.
Mu Shinian cast a cautious glance at Gu Linyuan standing not far away, and after his brain quickly processed the situation, he ultimately decided to trust Song Qiao. He nodded and went to sit on a chair on the other side but sat with lips pursed unhappily, clearly still worried, as he looked at Song Qiao and Gu Linyuan.
After sending a reassuring look to Mu Shinian, Song Qiao stood there and looked at Gu Linyuan a few steps away, feeling a mix of familiarity and strangeness rush over her. Despite the ti apart since their breakup, the reason for their separation was too hurtful, and now looking at Gu Linyuan, she felt a bit of resentnt and discomfort.
Just... not very deep.
"Let’s go downstairs." Song Qiao only paused briefly before breaking the silence, taking the lead towards the elevator.
Gu Linyuan slightly narrowed his eyes, concealing the rapidly shifting emotions within, and after Song Qiao passed by him, he turned and followed her towards the elevator, both of them refraining from any further conversation.
Mu Shinian sat on the chair, his mouth agape as he watched the two walk away, his mind filled with a single thought.
Why go downstairs? Shouldn’t my sister clear things up with that man here?
Sis, I want to hear it too!
Mu Shinian was torn between following them or staying put.
He even began to ponder whether he should discuss this matter with his brother-in-law.
If Song Qiao knew what Mu Shinian was thinking at this mont, she would certainly lant how grown-up kids are hard to keep hold of. She was his blood-related cousin, so why had he so quickly switched to Lu Jingchen’s side?
When Lu Jingchen left the ward, he saw Mu Shinian sitting restlessly on his own, occasionally glancing towards the elevator entrance, and couldn’t find Song Qiao. He frowned and asked, "Shinian, where’s your sister?"
Hearing Lu Jingchen’s voice, Mu Shinian abruptly stood up, realizing that Lu Jingchen had approached without him noticing. Hesitating, he decided to speak, "Just now, Gu Linyuan ca to find my sister, and they went downstairs to talk."
From the mont Lu Jingchen showed the marriage certificate, Mu Shinian regarded him as a more trustworthy person; after all, he was now his brother-in-law and soone who could take care of his sister.
What’s more, the housekeeper ntioned that soone had paid the fifty thousand for Elder Mu’s surgery, and Mu Shinian naturally assud the benefactor was Lu Jingchen.
Because he had the status, the position, the background, and most importantly the money, he was also his brother-in-law.
Hearing the na ’Gu Linyuan,’ Lu Jingchen’s eyebrows lifted slightly, but he showed a aningful half-smile and serenely said, "You go wait in the car first; I’ll go find your sister."
"Okay, brother-in-law."
...
At the small park below the hospital, there were many patients taking a stroll, family mbers, and so nurses.
Song Qiao walked in the front while Gu Linyuan followed leisurely behind her, his eyes never leaving the girl ahead of him.
When they reached the solitary lake in the hospital, Song Qiao stopped and then turned to look at Gu Linyuan, her tone so flat that no emotion could be discerned, "Did you co to the hospital today for sothing?"
Unsure whether he was here for her or to see Elder Mu, Song Qiao’s question subtly broadened the scope of potential reasons.
"I knew you would be at the hospital today, so I ca to find you," Gu Linyuan didn’t conceal his intentions and stood a couple of steps away from Song Qiao, his gaze fixed intently on the face he once adored, the suppressed emotions in his heart suddenly spilling forth as he continued to speak but asked the question that had lingered on his mind, "Qiaoqiao, you and Lu Jingchen..."
"We’re married." Before Gu Linyuan could finish his sentence, Song Qiao guessed what he was about to ask and bluntly revealed the truth about her marriage to Lu Jingchen without any concealnt.
User Comments
0 comments from readers